New Music For Old People: Linkin Park, 7Horse, O.A.R.

This column is like the title says — its intention is to fill the gap for those of us who were satiated musically in the ’60s and then searched desperately as we aged for music we could relate to and get the same buzz from nowadaze. iTunes was the answer for me in 2003 and I have been following the new releases every Tuesday ever since I realized there was an endless stream of music I could enjoy there.

I also include older items that I felt were obscure originally and might not have been heard back then. The reason I am writing this column is to make sure others don’t miss this wonderful music. These are not top ten items; but they SHOULD’VE been!

1. Linkin Park – “Guilty All The Same”

The Grammy-winning, 60 million album-selling band that started in 1996 is still here. They’ve been through every kind of change, including nu metal, rap-metal and electronica metal, but have returned to plain old heavy metal on this track from their opus The Hunting Party. I really like starting the column by bashing your freaking front door down.

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2. 7Horse – “Carousel Bar”

Jumping off their second album, Songs for a Voodoo Wedding, this duo unashamedly gathers a handful of Keith Richard twigs and builds a fiery tribute to a drinking establishment they obviously have frequented a few times. You can tell that they have studied the five-string, G tuning guitar pranks that Keith made his trademark starting with “Honky Tonk Woman,” “Tumbling Dice” and “Jumping Jack Flash.” Fortunately, they don’t attempt Jagger, so there is something that is their own tucked in there somewhere. In this case, familiarity breeds instant recognizance and marching, charging feet.

3. O.A.R. – “The Architect”

This one tapped my shoulder because of the horn arrangement; it’s not as derivative of BS&T or Chicago as the next generation of honkers, i.e. The Ides of March. Lyrically, I’m sorta scratching my head as the singer wishes to be acknowledged as per the title and left alone to build homes. I guess it’s better than singing about groupies and being on the road for a change…

Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears, providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to record the Super Session album among myriad other things.